FAN-FARE: A DEAFENING SILENCE BY ADAM GAVRIEL

Over 5 months after his tragic passing, the Rangers returned home to re-open the 33% transformed Madison Square Garden on Thursday night. Not only was it notable for the first phase renovation that was completed, but this would also be the first game the Blueshirts played on their home ice since the passing of their 2010-2011 teammate, enforcer Derek Boogaard.

Many fans, myself included, were ready for the home opening ceremonies to be one of celebration as well as introspection remembering those lives of the fallen NHL players that passed away in one of the most tragic off-seasons in the league’s history. Boogaard, Wade Belak, Rick Rypien and all of those who died in the plane crash tragedy in Russia gave hockey fans and their fellow players a serious reality check and a forced them to take a second to take a step back realize the fragility of life.

Though not the scope of the devastation that came from the plane crash that killed 43 people including several with ties to the Rangers, or the kind of unforeseeable medical tragedy that took the life of Alexi Cherepanov, Boogaard’s death was no less heartbreaking.

Boogaard was a man who may well have been the toughest enforcer in the NHL, but ironically it was the fight with pain for nearly a year due to the nature of his job that may well have led to his demise. After a December fight against Ottawa’s Matt Carkner, Boogaard’s head hit the ice after taking a few clean right hands to the jaw and he would never skate in another NHL game again. While Boogaard’s job is seen by many in the business as an important one, debate rages on about how dangerous and even if fighting is even necessary. There have been discussions on potentially taking it out of the game.

The game of hockey was built with fighting in it. Even though it was a stressful and sometimes painful job, it was Boogaard’s and by all accounts he loved being the one who could go out on the ice and calm a game down via his presence alone. If you can, recall the Rangers/Calgary game last season. Things were getting heated and the level of physicality was rising…until Boogaard stepped on to the ice; gave that little smile to the Flames players signifying that he was there and not to forget about him and just like that, the game took a cleaner turn.

“I’m right here, I’m ready.” Were the words that Boogaard mouthed on the ice. Calgary’s enforcer, Tim Jackman, stood next to him in the faceoff circle and looked less willing to drop the gloves than ever before in his career. He refused to even dare to take a look at Boogaard who was intently staring at him. That was what Boogaard brought with him, an intimidating presence that many of the most feared enforcers in the game would back down from.

Derek Boogaard deserved a moment of silence, says Adam Gavriel

In the video (see above) Sam Rosen mentions just how involved in the community Derek Boogaard was. He was beloved in Minnesota and “Boogy” as he was known, repaid it tenfold. Even in his short stay in New York, the fans were growing acclimated to Boogaard but that didn’t let it stop him from continuing his role in “Defending The Blueline.” DFB is a nonprofit organization geared toward helping the families, mostly the children, of military personnel to enjoy the game of hockey. This was an organization that Boogaard was very active in and cared a great deal about. The Rangers were a good fit for the former Minnesota Wild as they their own charities and are very involved with all of them. I can already think back to an episode of Rangers Game-Night where Boogaard was at a Build-a-Bear location giving of his time with the Rangers’ Garden of Dreams foundation.

Sadly, Boogaard only played for half a year for the team in the red, white and blue and wasn’t able to win the crowd over as he had with the Wild. According to an ESPN article that came out just days after his passing was announced, the story recounted how Boogaard’s friends said that he never felt quite at home in NY. Boogaard didn’t feel at home walking the streets of Manhattan with no one recognizing him, something he’d never be able to do in Minneapolis.

“The New York Rangers signed his checks, but the Canadian’s heart was always in the Twin Cities. In Manhattan, he could walk around for six hours and nobody recognized him. He hated that, the isolation he felt after he had signed with the Rangers this past summer. People close to Boogaard say he was bored and lonely in New York. When he suffered a season-ending concussion in December, things got even worse. He didn’t leave his apartment for three weeks, shunning the light, and had containers of takeout food piling up on the counters.”

Make no mistake about it, the death of Derek Boogaard was an absolute tragedy. In my opinion he deserved a dedicated moment of silence prior to the anthems being sung at MSG Thursday night. Rick Rypien never played a game for the Winnipeg Jets yet he received a video tribute and a very long and heartfelt moment of silence before the Jet’s home opener. Yes, Derek Boogaard only played in 22 games for the Rangers before his season, and his life, were cut way too short, but that in no way should minimize his receiving the sort of respect that he gave to those who love and follow hockey. It was a mistake for the Rangers organization to not give a man who put so much out there for others not to be given the chance, even in his death, to receive that back from the fans.

Well, I’m one fan who says, “I’m saddened by your loss.” I know the players are wearing your number #94 on their helmets with pride every game.

4 responses to “FAN-FARE: A DEAFENING SILENCE BY ADAM GAVRIEL”

You leave out facts that could explain why things happened the way they did, Rick Rypien played in Winnipeg for the Manitoba Moose of the AHL before the Winnipeg Jets came back.

Rypien was well known in the Winnipeg area during his time as a member of the Moose. They choose to honor him because they knew him.

Boogaard spent 22 games mostly on the bench because he was so ineffective. Yet people expect that we should forget that Boogaard was a player that most Ranger fans wanted not to return for this season.

Sorry that he passed away but at same time there truly never was any kind of bonding between player and fans.

Jess you bring up some great points, I for one can admit that I envisioned a Rangers team this season without Boogaard dressing every game. However he was a member of the Rangers family, put forth everything he did for the organization doing work for Garden of Dreams with his own independent work for Defending the Blue Line, I think he deserved a better moment than what was given. Judging by the responses that I’ve seen from fans, who also may not have wanted Boog on the team this season, I don’t feel alone in my thoughts at all.

Honoring Rypien was a classy move by the Winnipeg organization, there’s no doubt about that. I did know he played for the Moose too but that doesn’t change the fact that he never suited up for Winnipeg. The Jets lost a member of their family and honored him, the way any player should be honored.

Fact is I’m not trying to compare Winnipeg to NY or anything of that matter, or the Rypien situation to the Boogaard one, it was just an example of why I think the Rangers could have, and should have, done more for Derek.

My God, the guy never had a chance. I love when people talk like they know everything and then talk and prove they don’t. You should be ashamed. What about all the kids he bonded with on the build a bear day?
How about the military families that he gave two seats to for every home game? Truly no bonding from that?

Are you an actual reporter or just some faceless blogger who hides behind the safety of the internet?

I hope you never have to realize what it’s like to lose someone and then have some “expert” bring up a point that is marginally wrong at best, less the insulting part.

Be thankful for people who support the military unless you want to go fight for your right to spew your egocentric and inaccurate point of view. Sempre Fi

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Mitch Beck was a standup comedian and radio personality for over 25 years. His passion for hockey started with Team USA in 1980 when they defeated the Soviets at Lake Placid. He is now self-employed and has been reporting on the New York Rangers, and exclusively on the Hartford Wolf Pack / Connecticut Whale since 2005.